Book Review: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (Steve Brusatte)

Dr Steve Brusatte cuts a popular figure in the palaeontological community. In addition to having described many species of extinct animals, the media-friendly dinosaur expert is seen as one of the world’s foremost scientific communicators, known for his unerring ability to make complex scientific subjects fun and easy to understand for the masses. His works to date include acting as scientific consultant on several BBC Earth programmes as well as the ill-fated Walking With Dinosaurs movie (pitchforks down, it wasn’t his idea to make them talk!) as well as appearing as a slightly (only slightly) characterised version of himself on the National Geographic documentary T. rex Autopsy.

It should come as no surprise so, that Dr Brusatte has several books about dinosaurs to his name, the latest of which, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, attempts to chronicle exactly what its title implies in a manner that everyone from seasoned dinosaur experts to absolute newcomers can find enjoyable and enlightening at the same time – all in under 400 pages! That would be some feat, but can Brusatte possibly succeed with such an ambitious goal?

After a brief prologue which introduces us to what it is like to be a palaeontologist in the 21st Century, Brusatte takes us on a trip some 250 million years back in time, when the first ‘proto-dinosaurs’ were starting to make their opening gambit. While we tend to think that dinosaurs were preordained to rule from the get-go, the world Brusatte brings us to is a strange one where all of the planet’s continents are still stuck together, where mega-monsoons ravage the landscape and the would be dinosaurs are trying to eek out a living in the shadows of their much larger, more successful crocodile-like cousins, so they’ve certainly got some growing up to do!

From here on in, Brusatte guides us along a whistle-stop tour of the various stages of the age of the dinosaurs, explaining the major shakeups that led to them eventually dominating the Earth, before delving into more specific topics such as the surprising evolutionary history of the tyrannosaurs, how the giant dinosaurs went extinct, and how some of the Dinosauria cheated death by evolving into birds. Brusatte’s writing style is a welcoming one, as any scientific terms which readers may be unfamiliar with are explained in a manner which makes them simple to digest, usually with an easily remembered anecdote or analogy, while never sounding condescending either. This is the biggest challenge in all of science communication, and Brusatte’s mastery of this art is abundantly clear in his writing style.

Also evident in Brusatte’s writing style is his reverence for his fellow scientists, field researchers and enthusiasts. Namedropping too many to mention here, he comes across as refreshingly humble for one so accomplished, and eager to give credit to others where credit is due. Brusatte clearly loves a good puzzle and is keen to point out that not all of the great dinosaur mysteries have been solved yet and it will be up to the next generation to figure them out. Who knows, maybe some of his readers will take up the mantle one day?

Much how Robert T. Bakker’s The Dinosaur Heresies was essential reading for dinosaur enthusiasts in the 80s (and beyond), Steve Brusatte’s The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is the new must-read for anyone with so much as a passing curiosity in the mighty beasts which once ruled our planet.

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs can be purchased directly from publisher Harper Collins and is also stocked in many good bookshops and libraries.

Sean is Geek Ireland's resident dinosaur enthusiast, having been fascinated by prehistory since a time before he could read, speak or stand in an upright position (he still struggles to do at least one of these things on a daily basis).
Known as one of the biggest dinosaur fans Ireland has ever produced, Sean has delivered talks on his favourite subject at many venues and events including the Irish Film Institute, the UCD Science Expression Festival, Tayto Park, Dublin Comic Con and even London's Comedy Store.